V

Variable Expenses

Expenses that can change from month to month. Variable expenses include necessities that can be reduced (such as food and utilities) and non-essentials that could be eliminated (e.g., long distance charges, cable, magazine subscriptions, etc). Reducing these expenses is the simplest step in getting control of your finances.

Variable Interest Rate

A variable interest rate is based on fluctuating rates in the banking system, such as the prime rate. For example, if on January 1, the prime rate was 6 percent and your credit card's variable rate formula was the prime rate plus 9.9 percent, your interest rate would be 15.9 percent (see prime rate).